I get Versed and Fentanyl for full colonoscopies. I love it when the drugs knock me down, best feeling ever! I remember 2 out of 8 maybe colonoscopies that sedation did not work and the pain was horrible. This happens occasionnaly unfortunately. When I am in the waiting room, I occasionnaly hear a person screaming for this exam, not very cool...
I never use the sedation for short colonoscopies as I want to watch live on tv! My first GI was only doing short scopes without sedation, so I learned the hard way.
I had an upper endoscopy and was offred throat aneasthesic only. I highly recommend asking for full sedation for upper endoscopy. It is really aweful and disgusting. Wanting to throw up real bad the whole time. My Gi kept telling me not to move, but I was just unable to stop the hard vomit reflex with louad noises, yuck...
In my experience, I think upper endoscopy is worst than colonoscopy when sedation is not working. Colonoscopy is more painful, but upper endoscopy is way more uncomfortable and disgusting, you feel sick litteraly.
